The Healthy Loaf

About

The Healthy Loaf was started in 2008 by master baker, Graham Gardner when after almost forty years in the industry he saw a consumer need for healthier, high quality bread products. This gave rise to the ethos of the Healthy Loaf, a bakery that would only use the best ingredients, sourced for their health benefits and performance, whilst meeting high quality expectations.

During this search for healthy options and alternatives Graham became aware of the conditions, little known at the time, called gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. Gluten is a complex protein that is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley, which is hard for the body to digest. When a person who suffers from coeliac disease, an immune disease, eats gluten, a damaging immune reaction causes inflammation and harm to their small bowel (intestine). Other types of reactions to gluten are often called gluten intolerance. A gluten-free diet is the only way to manage this condition. The Victoria Government�s Better Health Channel website reports that �Coeliac disease affects at least one in 100 Australians� and this figure is increasing. (Click here to read more about Coeliac Disease at Better Health Channel.

Graham began to search for a healthy product alternative to accommodate gluten intolerant people and coeliac sufferers. He found initially that gluten free products were heavy, dry and for the most part harsh in flavour�most coeliac sufferers reported they had simply given up bread rather than endure the products available. One memorable description given to Graham of a gluten free loaf of bread was that it was like �a sliced up house brick�.

In 2009 Graham met Terry Hunter who after having a friend of his diagnosed with gluten intolerance, had made it his mission to come up with a product to mimic normal white bread, in both taste and texture. Terry was able to research and develop a gluten free flour mix but had no baking expertise. Graham using his master baking skills and experience transformed this dough and baking process, into the unique and comprehensive range the Healthy Loaf produce today. This collaboration, founded on the shared observation that tasty, healthy and genuinely gluten free bread products were needed, has led to over twenty-seven new products being developed for gluten intolerant people and coeliac sufferers and that list is still growing! An astoundingly common remark from the Healthy Loaf�s customers is �this is bread just like real bread!�